Kilinochchi: Utopian “Eelam” Capital Falls

(January 02, Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Megalomaniac LTTE Prabhakaran's utopian ‘Eelam’ capital, Kilinochchi, for which, he, for over three decades, mercilessly butchered thousands of monks, clergy, breast-feeding infants, intellectuals, statesmen, including a Sri Lankan President and an Indian Premier, military chieftains, Sinhalese, Muslim & Tamil youths, innocent men and women, was triumphantly overrun and finally rescued from the grip of ruthless terrorism, by able, committed and valiant sons of the Sri Lanka Army by Friday (2nd January 2009), adding a new golden leaf to the contemporary history book of the Mother, Sri Lanka, the Army Headquarters declared a few minutes ago.

Thousands of troops who encircled Kilinochchi township which is of great importance, since it has been the de-facto administrative capital of the ‘Eelam’ consisted of valiant sons and daughters of 57 Division and Task Force – I (58 Division) who were commanded by Major General Jagath Dias and Brigadier Shavindra Silva. The Kilinochchi fall comes precisely after ten years when it last fell to the enemy in September 1998. All troops launching their simultaneous attacks from three different directions in Paranthan, Iranamadu and Admpan areas rolled on to the township areas as the day broke on Friday (2). They first got hold of the famous Kilinochchi railway station. Many Tiger terrorists, perhaps aware of what was on the way, appeared to have fled the area in groups as troops were inching forward towards the goal at the crack of the day.

Kilinochchi town, the prestigious nerve-centre of LTTE’s administration, which lies about 334 kms (255 miles) north of Colombo capital, remained the LTTE’s most strategic logistic base, from which almost all the decisions were made upon by the exclusive command of the evasive terrorist leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran and his top-rung leadership who were branded as the ‘most ruthless terrorist group in the world’.

LTTE kangaroo courts, ‘Police’ Headquarters, ‘Eelam’ banks, luxurious LTTE peace secretariat complex operated from Kilinochchi, their de-facto capital of ‘Eelam’ lying on the Kandy -Jaffna (A-9) Main Supply Route (MSR).

Various scores of Local and International Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) during the last two decades used to have their northern Headquarters based in Kilinochchi, claiming that those NGOs were extending their humanitarian services to every corner of the Kilinochchi and Mullativu districts where thousands of besieged civilians lived.

The fall of Kilinochchi, literary meant that their financial and other logistical assets which were continuously strengthened through extortions and illegal “tax” impositions almost on everything that found way into Kilinochchi district via Omanthei Entry/Exit point and other places earlier, has received a tremendous setback or virtually come to a standstill.

The Kilinochchi town, once a thriving commercial hub that enabled producers to exchange varied agricultural and other produce between the south and north was popularly regarded a very active money-spinning area before Tigers took control of the entire province. The fertile Kilinochchi farming lands with bumper stocks of paddy, chillies, onions, grains, potatoes, tobacco and other cash crops had overwhelmingly contributed to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) lavishly before Tiger terrorism unfortunately took its root there.

The Kilinochchi district with an area of about 1250 sq km is adjacent to Jaffna district to the north, Mulattivu district to the east and southeast of Mannar district to the west and further southwest.

Geographical location of this town lying on the Kandy-Jaffna (A-9) Main Supply Route (MSR) had been serving as country’s one of the best economic centres which used to distribute its farming products between the Wanni and the South several years ago.

In September 1996 during Operation Sathjaya Army gained its control over Kilinochchi and had its troop deployments until September 1998. Tiger terrorists afterwards turned this town to a well-fortified territory keeping almost everybody under LTTE siege on the diktats of the LTTE supremo.

Sri Lanka Army, at this historic and critical phase of our motherland’s destiny, needless to reaffirm, very humbly rejoices this humanitarian victory against terrorism while saluting profusely hundreds of our fallen War Heroes, Disabled Soldiers and all those went missing in action. The Army also invokes merits on those who have made the supreme sacrifice and blessings for speedy recovery of its wounded heroic men and women during their months-old journey for liberation of Tamil civilians. Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka who has been the livewire and the tower of strength and the guiding star behind all those highly successful military operations also recalls numerous sacrifices that have been made by his valiant troops with respect and dignity.

Kilinochchi, the separate administrative district which is also extending its wings to the JAFFNA electoral district, derives its name from ‘kili’ meaning a ‘parrot’ and the tree ‘nochchi’ (vitex negundo). Kilinochchi shot to notorious fame when it became the symbol of LTTE’s ‘prestige and dignity’. The fall of Paranthan, situated about 4 miles to its north, sent shock waves among the terrorists some 48 hours ago who had been boasting of the troop inability to enter Kilinochchi stronghold. The blood-thirsty Prabhakaran, in a recent interview went to the extent of even challenging President Mahinda Rajapaksa against his intention to capture Kilinochchi.

His Excellency, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, since his assumption of office has repeatedly gone on record, saying that he would never allow division of the country under any circumstances, even at the risk of losing his own life. President Rajapaksa as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces broke the news on Kilinochchi to the world after delivering an address to the nation, minutes after Friday (2) mid-noon.

Terrorists right throughout their dictatorship on Kilinochchi went on beaming their terror-promoting media propaganda from Kilinochchi after establishing the radio, ‘Voice of Tigers’, ‘Tamil Eelam Radio’ and ‘Tamil Eelam TV’ and ‘TV Nitharsanam’, etc. The worst form of LTTE misinformation was transmitted to the entire world after they set up those stations in Kilinochchi on the directives of Prabhakaran and his clan. The period of relative peace during the Cease-fire Agreement (CFA) saw those propaganda wings turning further strong with the supply of advanced technical accessories, thanks to many terrorism-appeasing foreign donors.

Some media pundits, anti Army writers and columnists, both here and abroad, some of who have been hired or purchased by terrorists continued their mud-slinging and demoralizing propaganda campaigns against the Army Commander Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, Secretary Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa and heroic members of the Army, Navy and the Air Force. Some English and Tamil newspapers took the lead in this direction and compiled exaggerated stories and insulting battle-field news reports. Some went to the extent of comparing the siege of Stalingrad to the siege of Kilinochchi and painted a gloomy picture, predicting the capture Kilinochchi would never materialize or be possible as declared by Army chiefs and government authorities. Some of those reports caused furore at different political levels both here and abroad.

The guiding military strategy and the vision for the success of Wanni battles were effectively launched under the auspices of Secretary Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Chief of Defence Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera, Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka, Major General Jagath Jayasuriya (Wanni Commander), General Officers Commanding in Wanni-based Divisions, Brigades and all commanders in various formations. The Sri Lanka Air Force fighters covered the entire battle-fields and LTTE gatherings during their march, providing enthusiastic and precise aerial support for all those operations.

Major General N A Jagath Dias, Lieutenant Colonel H P Ranasinghe, Lieutenant Colonel A G D N Jayasundera Lieutenant Colonel S P Wijesuriya under the 57 Division and Brigadier L H Shavindra Silva, Colonel T S Bansajaya, Lieutenant Colonel S A D A D Gunawardena, Lieutenant Colonel L A N S Wanigasinghe under the Task Force-I (58 Division), supported by hundreds of brave and courageous soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army under the command of Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka marched relentlessly forward to secure the area. Similarly, the unfailing support, extended by the advancing troops of the 59 Division commanded by Brigadier Nandana Udawattha is also worth recording here at this historic moment of the military history.

Mr.Anandasangaree, a popular contemporary Tamil political leader was first elected to the Parliament by peace-loving Tamils in Kilinochchi in the 1977 General Election after the Kilinochchi constituency was created, but he has been to-date deprived of any opportunity to either visit his former electorate or serve his community owing to LTTE death threats issued on this veteran politician. - Sri Lanka Guardian